Applications for the Mainstage Category must be submitted by noon (PST) on Friday, January 26. That’s this Friday! The application fee is $50 and we don’t need to know anything about your show (yet)! That’s because Mainstage shows are selected by lottery! It’s true! We draw names out of a hat! A real hat!

Want to know more? Visit our “For Artists” page on our website and then click on through to Eventotron to register (or login). Eventotron is used by multiple Fringes, so you can apply to multiple Fringes easily (depending on their application dates). Please note that Eventotron will be down for maintenance on Thursday January 25 from 2-6:00am.

Mainstage Category artists will be drawn at the Lottery Party on January 30!

You’re Invited to the Lottery Party: January 30!

Once again, the luck of the draw will decide what shows will be part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival! That’s right, we will choose shows out of a hat (well, a series of hats). Join in on the fun and be the first to know what artists and what shows will be on our Mainstages at the 2018 Festival! Our very own Vixn Przybysz (aka Dispatch Queen) will be MC-ing and we recommend wearing a hat to get in the spirit.

Former Executive Director, David Jordan (right), draws a name out of a hat held by Board Member Leslie Carty (left) at last year’s Lottery Party (it was also a Christmas Party!). Photo by Bruce McPherson.

Where:Studio 1398 (1398 Cartwright St.) on Granville IslandWhen: Tuesday, January 30. Doors open at 5:30pm. This is a casual event and latecomers (even really late latecomers) are welcome. A loose schedule of the evening is as follows:
5:30pm: Doors open
6:00pm: International Artists drawn
6:30pm: North American Artists drawn
7:00pm: Intermission
7:15pm: Playwrights Theatre Centre’s Kathleen Flaherty will tell us about this year’s Fringe New Play Prize Winners, Anais West and Sara Vickruck and their new slam poetry musical Poly Queer Love Ballad. Plus Sara will be in attendance and will perform a song from the show!
7:30pm: Cheer on our local artists as we draw the Local Artists!
8:00pm: Travis Bernhardt will perform a short set of his jaw-dropping magic! Then, stay and mingle!

And if you’re a potential Fringe artist, you’ll want to be in the room! Local artists in attendance who are drawn for a Mainstage Category spot in the Lottery will also be entered to win a guaranteed sandwich board in our sandwich board forest, a guaranteed spot in the Georgia Straight Fringe-For-All, and/or free rehearsal space from Green Thumb Theatre. We’ll also have a contest for artists who cannot attend! Be sure to follow along on Twitter as we live-tweet the Lottery results!

This event is free! Please RSVP to let us know you’re attending. See you at the Party!

What is Theatre Wire?

Just a few of the upcoming Theatre Wire shows you can purchase as single tickets or as a Subscription Package! Clockwise from top left: Fool for Love, Blindside, My Funny Valentine, and Cashless.

The Festival supports emerging artists from around the world as they find audiences, create new work, and take risks, but what are our local, independent, and Fringe artists up to year round? Creating more exciting theatre of course, and Theatre Wire is where you can find shows, buy tickets, and save on subscriptions to see and support theatre all year!

There’s still time to save up to 30% on a subscription, book tickets for your Valentines Day date, or see a show that will chase your winter blues away! (Plus, new shows have recently been added to the Subscription: Fool for Loveand Cashless!) Visit TheatreWire.com to see what’s playing on stages all over the city!

We’re Hiring!

Think you can fit in with our wacky team? The Fringe is hiring! Photo of our 2017 Fringe Team by My City Photos.

The Communications and Outreach Coordinator is a new year-round position supporting our marketing and communications initiatives. The person in this position is also responsible for coordinating outreach and community building with diverse communities. Click here to read the whole posting. Applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis until the right candidate has been found.

The Managing Director is responsible for the implementation, day-to-day management, and the smooth operations of the Fringe Festival as well as Theatre Wire. The ideal candidate has administrative and management experience and proven leadership skills. Click here to read the whole posting. The application deadline is February 12, 2018.

We’ll be posting more positions in the coming months. Be sure to visit our Work With Us page for current postings.

Apply to be a 2018 Fringe Artist

January 10, 2018

The time has finally arrived! Applications for the Mainstage Category at the 2018 Vancouver Fringe Festival are now open!

What would your show be about? From left to right: Include fight choreography like in I Am For You? Sketch comedy like in Help! I’m American? Wear wings like in Stupid Cupid? Photos by Michael Levy.

Mainstage Venue spots refer to shows that are placed in a venue supplied by the Festival, including a technician, basic lighting and sound, as well as Box Office services and inclusion in the Fringe Festival Program Guide. Mainstage Artists receive approximately six performance spots, September 6-16, 2018. Apply by Friday, January 26 at noon (Pacific time) by registering at Eventotron. Mainstage application fees are $50. For more details visit the Artists’ page on the Vancouver Fringe website.

And yes, it’s true! The Fringe is an unjuried, uncensored festival. Applications are drawn from a hat! Literally, a hat. That means that everyone has an equal chance! Plus you don’t need to know what your show is… yet. All you need to provide for this application is contact information, $50, and to agree to the terms. If you are selected we’ll ask you for more information. Apply today!

Looking for other ways to be a 2018 Fringe artist? Bring Your Own Venue (BYOV), Site-Specific, and Dramatic Works Series information will be available after the Mainstage Lottery.

Congratulations to Shantini Klaassen, our outgoing Managing Director, who is taking on the role of Managing Producer at Electric Company Theatre!

Since 2011, Shantini has played an important role at the Fringe. Starting as the Box Office Manager before moving on to Operations Manager, and finally to Managing Director, Shantini made sure the Festival ran smoothly behind the scenes—including implementing accessibility initiatives, building relationships with artists, creating our now annual Fringemas event, fixing our printer (over and over again), and enforcing mandatory fun days for staff. And she even put on a Fringe show herself in 2014 (The Chariot Cities)!

Just a taste of what Vancouver has to offer in the way of Theatre!

UnderbellyJanuary 17 The Heritage Grill (New Westminster)
2012 Vancouver Fringe Festival hit, winner of the Cultchivating the Fringe Award and the Georgia Straight Critics’ Choice Award, Jayson McDonald channels the bizarre and disorienting use of language that became William S. Burroughs’ signature style.

My Funny ValentineFebruary 7-18 The Dance Centre
Based on the tragic murder of gay 15-year-old Lawrence King, the critically acclaimed, Jessie-nominated My Funny Valentine examines the fracturing of opinion in the face of this horrendous act and explores the ripple effects of such hate on a community.